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4.07.2014

LaLa Shawl

Knitting always sooths me, I was stressed and needed a small project, out of town with little resources. I had one knitting book and found a Joanns store. After much looking around and dithering, some yarn was found that I fell in love with a wool, mohair, acrylic mix! Patons North America Lace,I decided to buy two balls, because, well who knows what it would become?
Only having one knitting book gave me few options, Greetings from the Knit Café, so I picked out the Lale shawl and started in. The pattern is super simple and goes fast due to the yo’s and then drop them the next row! This would be a good first shawl for a beginning knitter! Love how the yarn is giving the color change and lacy look with a slight halo.
Pattern is very easy to follow, once you knit one repetition of it, you can go on auto pilot with it.I knitted most of it during visiting friends for a music festival. So little attention to detail, and lots of talking involved. I’m always surprised at how many knitters I meet when sitting and knitting at a social gathering.
The only part of the pattern that gave me pause was the ruffle, I had never seen one made in this manner. After reading several knitters struggles and modifications with the ruffle on Ravelry, I was initially going to omit it. But after doing so, I frogged it back and decided I could figure it out. The ruffle really adds what made this shawl stand out and make me want to knit it. After a few tries I set off and it did take some time to finish the ruffle, but I did it while watching Netflix, and I think it was worth it.
I love the feel of this yarn against my neck, it is the perfect size and weight to wear under my winter coat and give it a pop of color. Warm and yet weightless. It makes me feel girly.
I would definitely make this pattern again, and use this yarn! See yarn info above, the color repeats are quite long, and I like the look it gives.
Although this pattern was in a book, below are some very similar free shawl patterns:
-Lala’s Simple Shawl by Laura Linneman
-One skein summer shawl by Kat Oliver
-Impossibly Large, Impossibly Simple Shawl by Miranda DiStanfo
-Matter and Void by Julia Mueller
-143-13 Raspberry Shawl by Drops design
Happy Knitting